NEDA=National Eating Disorders Association
NEDA awareness week: Feb.20-26th
For SEVEN days people around the united states are being asked to help out in spreading EATING DISORDER awareness. Although I have chosen to dedicate my entire year to NEDA awareness, this week is not any less impactful on my journey to spread awareness. But, I have made a goal for this week is to try and reach out to the people reading my blog (yes that is you), to do something during this week as well. What I have learned by writing this entries, that you do not have to do something HUGE to spark change or interest in individuals. ANYTHING that is working towards a goal does help. I feel that with the amount of people that have been reading my blog (786 views people! amazing), that being able to get the word out there and let people know that is NEDA awareness week will be easy and impactful.
so here is my challenge for YOU. For everyone who reads this blog or even just happened to stumble upon this one post of my blog, I would want you to post ONE FACT about eating disorders. It doesnt have to be something that you have read about on this blog, it can be anything you choose. ONE FACT. Post it as a status on your facebook, or a tweet on twitter, or any other social networking thing you use. Ill even post links to facts and stats, to make it even easier for you to spread the word. By taking one minute out of your day from Feb.20th-26th can make huge changes. Something bigger than you ever thought, or may never realize.dont believe me?
For example, people who have been posting my blog on their site may have no idea that out of the 1,000 friends they have on their facebook, That you are bound to have at least 5 friends who suffer from anorexia and 20-30 friends who suffer from bulimia. One in 200 American women suffers from anorexia. Two to three in 100 American women suffers from bulimia.(this is a statistic found on hte neda website).also remember, just because someone has ED does not mean they are getting help for it. There are so many people out there with this disease and are convinved that if they wither away into nothing no one would notice or care. so by posting a fact, is an excellent way to SHOW YOU CARE. By posting one fact, shows you have interest in ED, that you care about this fatal illness. You are now giving someone a potential outlet that they can come to if they need it. and by you reading this blog, you now have the resources to help. The two websites I have on the top left are EXCELLENT resources for finding help and support and information.
There is so much you can do by just becoming aware/educated about this disease, and allowing OTHERS to know of your interest as well. I REALLY HOPE that EVERYONE will take part in NEDA AWARENESS WEEK. and try to get others involved as well. so remember
FEBRUARY 20th-26th. POST YOUR FACT!!
and ill be here to remind you, and as always, please continue to help spread my blog to others. im so thankful for everyone who has retweeted and reposted my blog to others. esp the comments I have received that i have inspired others or just hearing that they read it and like it means SO MUCH TO ME. thanks again for helping to accomplish this task of spreading ED awareness and hopefully we can all work at this together!
here are the links to the facts before i forget!
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/MediaTip.pdf
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/RsrchPop.pdf
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/uploads/file/Statistics%20%20Updated%20Feb%2010,%202008%20B.pdf
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Thinspiration
Warning: This post could be triggering for individuals with ED. I would suggest not reading it if there is a chance you could be sensitive to the material.
Thinspiration: : inspirational material that promotes thinness. See pro-ana
Pro-Ana: anything that involved the promotion of anoretic behaviors.
Example "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"
The term “Thinspiration” is not at all to be confused with what could seem like a positive motivating phrase. “Thinspiration” does represent inspirational material to promote thinness, but is used in the eating disordered world as a way to individuals to gain courage, support, and inspiration for maintaining their eating disorder. Try googling “Thinspiration” and you will see exactly what I am referring to. If you go to images, what you will see images of emaciated bodies filling up the screen. There are also Thinspiration websites, full of Pro-Ana proverbs, trying to tell girls that their suffering is worth it and to continue with their eating disorders. This is the sickening world of eating disorders.
The first time I had seen a thinspiration video or even heard about it was last year after reading a book called “Purge” by Nicole Johns. I was curious to see what this motivation for ED entailed. I was sickened by the amount of videos that were available under the title of “Thinspiration”. I literally became sick to my stomach. There are people out there, very sick people, who are creating a photo montague of extremely unhealthy and unidealistic bodies. They use this as motivation for their eating disorder. They use celebrities such as Nicole Ritchie or Victoria Secret models, and use them as motivators of how they BELIEVE their bodies HAVE to look like. They also use self portraits. Anorexic looking bodies are bring used as a model of what they believe they should look like. These emaciated body parts are in NO WAY ideal of how one should look, or how one should strive for.
I have shown these videos to a few of my friends, and they are shocked that this is even real. Who would ever think to promote an eating disorder? What is worse, is that youtube videos arent' even half of the "Thinspiration" material available. There are Pro-Ana websites. Which stands for PRO ANOREXIC. I still can’t believe these websites are allowed on the internet. These websites believe they are a place where individuals with ED can go and feel support. A place where everyone feels the same way they do, and they can go there for words of encouragement to stop eating, and that the hunger is worth the pain. Its basically the same thing as promoting suicide. Eating disorders are a slow sucide. Slowly killing your body from within by starving and/or purging.
I found a video that is a good example of the sickening things that are out there
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqHxlz1kcq8
I have taken the liberty to flag any video on youtube that I find as offensive as this one. Once again, these videos are FUELING eating disorders and should be removed from the internet.
What I want people to take away from this entry is I hope they are shocked and upset from what they have just read about/seen. I hope this entry has let people glimpse into the mind of a person with ED. That there are people out there who are so sick that these phrases, pictures, etc are something they firmly believe it. They believe that if they are fat they are unloveable, or if they aren't skinny enough they arent good enough. I have heard girls say that they are no one without their eating disorder. And none of that is true. Which is why Thinspiration material makes me so upset and scared for the girls that aren't strong enough not to listen to them. I hope that we all can take a stand against "Thinspiration" videos in one way or another. Flag a video on facebook, or write an encouraging comment on a Thinspiration website. Something. Let people out there know that their lives are worth living no matter how big or small they are.
"I finally realized that being grateful to my body was key to giving more love to myself"-Oprah
Thinspiration: : inspirational material that promotes thinness. See pro-ana
Pro-Ana: anything that involved the promotion of anoretic behaviors.
Example "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"
The term “Thinspiration” is not at all to be confused with what could seem like a positive motivating phrase. “Thinspiration” does represent inspirational material to promote thinness, but is used in the eating disordered world as a way to individuals to gain courage, support, and inspiration for maintaining their eating disorder. Try googling “Thinspiration” and you will see exactly what I am referring to. If you go to images, what you will see images of emaciated bodies filling up the screen. There are also Thinspiration websites, full of Pro-Ana proverbs, trying to tell girls that their suffering is worth it and to continue with their eating disorders. This is the sickening world of eating disorders.
The first time I had seen a thinspiration video or even heard about it was last year after reading a book called “Purge” by Nicole Johns. I was curious to see what this motivation for ED entailed. I was sickened by the amount of videos that were available under the title of “Thinspiration”. I literally became sick to my stomach. There are people out there, very sick people, who are creating a photo montague of extremely unhealthy and unidealistic bodies. They use this as motivation for their eating disorder. They use celebrities such as Nicole Ritchie or Victoria Secret models, and use them as motivators of how they BELIEVE their bodies HAVE to look like. They also use self portraits. Anorexic looking bodies are bring used as a model of what they believe they should look like. These emaciated body parts are in NO WAY ideal of how one should look, or how one should strive for.
I have shown these videos to a few of my friends, and they are shocked that this is even real. Who would ever think to promote an eating disorder? What is worse, is that youtube videos arent' even half of the "Thinspiration" material available. There are Pro-Ana websites. Which stands for PRO ANOREXIC. I still can’t believe these websites are allowed on the internet. These websites believe they are a place where individuals with ED can go and feel support. A place where everyone feels the same way they do, and they can go there for words of encouragement to stop eating, and that the hunger is worth the pain. Its basically the same thing as promoting suicide. Eating disorders are a slow sucide. Slowly killing your body from within by starving and/or purging.
I found a video that is a good example of the sickening things that are out there
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqHxlz1kcq8
I have taken the liberty to flag any video on youtube that I find as offensive as this one. Once again, these videos are FUELING eating disorders and should be removed from the internet.
What I want people to take away from this entry is I hope they are shocked and upset from what they have just read about/seen. I hope this entry has let people glimpse into the mind of a person with ED. That there are people out there who are so sick that these phrases, pictures, etc are something they firmly believe it. They believe that if they are fat they are unloveable, or if they aren't skinny enough they arent good enough. I have heard girls say that they are no one without their eating disorder. And none of that is true. Which is why Thinspiration material makes me so upset and scared for the girls that aren't strong enough not to listen to them. I hope that we all can take a stand against "Thinspiration" videos in one way or another. Flag a video on facebook, or write an encouraging comment on a Thinspiration website. Something. Let people out there know that their lives are worth living no matter how big or small they are.
"I finally realized that being grateful to my body was key to giving more love to myself"-Oprah
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